1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to hydraulic dampers for vehicles and, in particular, is concerned with a vortex valving assembly for a piston and/or a cylinder end in a hydraulic damper.
2. Description of the Related Art
A typical hydraulic shock absorber or strut includes a piston and piston rod subassembly which reciprocates in an inner cylinder during compression and rebound of the damper. The piston may contain a valving assembly to vary the flow of hydraulic fluid from first and second chambers in the inner cylinder, resulting in desired damping characteristics.
The piston is generally formed as a metallic cylindrical member having an inner passage to receive the valving assembly and permit the flow of fluid between the first and second chambers. Oftentimes, the valving assembly is retained within the piston by a crimping procedure. Various components, e.g., orifices, springs and/or disks, of the valving assembly can be changed to select and tune the damping rate for a particular application.
A conventional base valve assembly is fitted to and seals the lower end of the inner cylinder. The base valve assembly controls the flow of fluid between the inner cylinder and a reservoir formed and bounded by a reservoir tube surrounding the inner cylinder. Various components, e.g., orifices, springs and/or disks, are utilized to select and tune the flow rate during reciprocation of the piston and piston rod subassembly.
The art continues to seek improvements. It is desirable to provide economical valving assemblies to control the flow of fluid in a hydraulic damper. Preferably, the valving assemblies are easily tunable and can be adapted for use with conventional pistons and inner cylinders.